Top 25 Player Profile, DL Zane Durant

USA Today

5 days ago

Zane Durant may have gone under the radar at the start of his Penn State career. Now, he is quickly becoming a household name in State College. Earning a starting spot last year on the interior D-line, Durant stood out in a defense loaded with talent. If his 2025 is similar, he could be one NFL scouts will be clamoring over come next April. Here is how Zane Durant's 2025 campaign could look and what it could mean for his NFL draft prospects.
2024 in Review
In a defense that included stars edge rushers Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton, Zane Durant somehow stood out as a third option doing his work on the interior. The 6-1, 294 pounder had his best season yet, with 42 tackles, 22 of which were solo, 11 TFLs, three sacks and a pass breakup to boot. Most impressively, he earned the coaching staff's Defensive Player of the Game three separate times, something hard to do with two other stars to contend with. Most importantly though, he gave Penn State a fearsome presence to help shore up their run defense aboth Carter and Dennis-Sutton took care of business off the edge.
In 2025, with no Abdul Carter, the pressure is on for Durant to wreak even more havoc up the middle. With the jaw-dropping traits requisite to match a player of DDS' caliber, look for Durant to be on the interior what Dennis-Sutton is on the edge. No Carter should be no problem with Durant at his all-time best.
Biggest Question in 2025
What can Durant do for an encore? In a career year, he proved he could play off of two stars and benefit from their success. This year has a wholly different tenor to it however, without Carter's presence. Dani Dennis-Sutton will no double continue to be the star that he is, but can Durant follow suit? The traits: the first step quickness, the explosive movement in a more undersized frame, the impressive motor from the first to fourth quarter: are all there. He must show he can hold out on his own though. There's a reason why he hadn't been able to carve out an immediate role in this squad, and that's his lack of length and somewhat limited pass rush arsenal. Now that Carter's gone, he can't rely on pressure being generated from both sides. He must create his own. Whether or not he can do it remains to be seen, but will be a crucial factor in his growth as a player and how NFL scouts could view him.
2025 will be a success if...
Durant simply complements Dennis-Sutton and ultimately proves that he can continuously generate pressure by himself. While he's not the No.1 guy in the front seven, expectations will almost certainly be heightened due to Carter's absence. Every Penn State fan knows what they are getting from Dennis-Sutton, but don't know if Durant can hold up on his own. He truly is a legitimate player with high upside once he gets to the NFL. How he handles a bigger role will be paramount. Most importantly, there may be sometimes where an opposing scheme is more tailored towards Durant's style of disruption. He must show that he can execute that sort of game plan while also being complementary to the depth around him.
Overall, Durant does not have to be the second coming of Abdul Carter and he does not need to be. He is his own player with his own style. He must use that style effectively though to continue to have success and build his resume.
2025 will be a disappointment if...
Zane Durant fails to have the same presence on the interior as he did last year, and Penn State gets outmatched in the run game because of it. The Big Ten is certainly tailored towards thriving passing attacks, but there are some squads who can gut you up the middle. Minnesota with Darius Taylor and Washington with both Jonah Coleman and Adam Mohammed come to mind. If Durant is not up to par, teams will take advantage of him more often. There will be many more situations where Durant is isolated in space and could be one of the first and last lines of defense. Thus, there are a number of opportunities that could see Durant have to be up to task. If he can't provide energy and efficiency stopping the run game, it could be a detriment to the whole squad and could lead to some shocking upset losses. It is critical that Durant is locked in, or else a potential strength for the Nittany Lions could become one of their biggest weaknesses.
Realistic Outlook for 2025
I would not be surprised if Durant's stats jump even more off the page this season. In a role with a lot more freedom from the interior, look fro Durant to especially be the first line of defense in run support. Double digit TFLs yet again this year should be a solid goal to reach for Durant and he could easily get there. It's his draft stock that will be the most intriguing storyline of all. While he does not scream first round pick and maybe not even second, his undeniable attributes stand out on both tape and on the field. If he can continue to put up the elite numbers while honing his skills, then who knows how high Durant could go in next year's draft?